Portland Hungers for Its Food Carts

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Portland Hungers for Its Food Carts Duff on Hospitality Law Portland Hungers for its Food Carts By Joy Ellis on 9.28.12 | Posted in Food and Beverage At lunch time, Joy Ellis can be found at Addy’s Sandwich Bar, a food cart at the corner of SW 10th and Alder. Here, she brings us an update on the thriving food cart industry in Portland. Portland’s bustling food cart industry has come of age. With nearly 700 food carts actively dishing out some of Portland’s most creative and tasty cheap eats, the local food cart economy here is flourishing. Portland’s food cart industry has also helped build some thriving ancillary businesses, from food cart suppliers to sustainable to-go food containers to bicycle delivery services like Portland Pedal Power. Food carts are generally a flexible, low-risk business model. They give an aspiring entrepreneur the opportunity to incubate a business idea and gather a following before taking the financial leap to a bricks-and-mortar restaurant, and they provide an affordable investment for business owners who prefer to stay small and avoid the risks and costs inherent in a storefront restaurant. The City of Portland is generally supportive of food carts, which pepper urban surface parking lots and occupy vacant lots and other underutilized sites. Portland’s regulations are relatively friendly (unlike some other cities, like New Orleans – where a food truck can’t park in the French Quarter, sell seafood, stay in one place for longer than 30 minutes or be parked near a restaurant). The various permits and licenses required of a Portland food cart vendor depend upon the size of the cart, its mobility, and its location (on private property or a public sidewalk). Of course, there is a bit of government scrutiny worth noting. The City of Portland clearly disapproves of liquor licenses for food carts or cart pods, as demonstrated last winter when Cartlandia – yes, that really is the name of a Portland food cart pod – became embroiled in controversy after obtaining a liquor license from the requisite state regulatory agency, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC). (In a nutshell: Cartlandia got the license, only to have the City Council vote to disallow it. The OLCC then overruled the City Council, and the City sued the OLCC. Government in action!) The City has also cracked down on illegal food cart structures that either block the sidewalk or have attachments that touch the ground (like a deck or awning post), which render the cart no longer “mobile” under the City code’s definition. The restaurant industry (ORLA in particular) has grumbled that the food carts are not regulated as actively by government and their low overhead – including fewer utility and permitting fees – gives food carts a competitive advantage. The Portland food cart community has a foster.com Portland Hungers for its Food Carts fledgling association of its own, the Oregon Street Food Association (ORSFA), but it does not yet appear to be speaking with an organized voice. Meanwhile, Portland’s food carts will continue to dominate the downtown and neighborhood snack landscape with their carts, bikes, Airstream trailers, trucks, and stands. Voted #1 in “World’s Best Street Food” by U.S. News and World Report last winter, the food cart scene just continues to grow. Tags: Cartlandia, food carts, OLCC, ORLA, ORSFA foster.com.
Recommended publications
  • Mobile Food Cart
    Mobile Food Cart To obtain a permit to operate a Mobile Food Cart you must have a vehicle that is inspected and permitted by the Kern County Environmental Health Division. Items which may be sold from a Mobile Food Cart include: Steamed or boiled hotdogs, steamed or boiled corn, tamales, approved prepackaged foods, churros, coffee and tea. Vehicle inspection days are every Tuesday from 8:00 – 10:00 am Kern County Public Health Services Department Environmental Health Division 2700 M Street, Suite 300 Bakersfield, CA 93301 Phone (661)862-8740 FAX (661)862-8701 Revised June 2016 ` To obtain a health permit to operate a Mobile Food Cart, you must meet the requirements listed below: 1. Current Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) registration 2. Facility/business name, city, state, ZIP code, and permittee name (if different than the name of the facility/business) must be permanently displayed and clearly visible on the Mobile Food Cart. The color of the letters must contrast with the color of the Mobile Food Cart. The facility/business information must be displayed as follows: Facility/Business Name (written at least 3 inches high) (written at least 1 inch high) City, State, Zip Code Permittee Name, if applicable (written at least 1 inch high) To obtain your permit, bring the Mobile Food Cart and the following to Kern County Environmental Health: 1. Completed Application 2. Completed Menu 3. Completed Commissary Authorization The Mobile Food Cart must use an approved commissary. The Mobile Food Cart must go to the commissary at least once a day to get food and supplies, to be cleaned, to discard leftover food, to store unused food, to fill fresh water tank, and to discard wastewater in approved receptacle.
    [Show full text]
  • LONCHERAS: a Look at the Stationary Food Trucks of Los Angeles
    LONCHERAS: A Look at the Stationary Food Trucks of Los Angeles September 2010 Jesús Hermosillo Master of Arts Degree Program UCLA School of Urban Planning Prepared for UCLA Center for Labor Research & Education (UCLA Labor Center) UCLA School of Urban Planning Disclaimer: Neither the University of California nor the School of Public Affairs either supports or disavows the findings in any project, report, paper, or research listed herein. University affiliations are for identification only; the University is not involved in or responsible for the project. Hermosillo 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY………………………………………………………………...6 INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………….11 PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES…………………………………………………………..14 WHAT IS A LONCHERA?..................................................................................................15 Loncheras (or stationary food trucks)…………………………………………………….16 Industrial lunch trucks……………………………………………………………………..16 Twitter trucks…………………………………………………………………………….....17 What is a “traditional” catering truck?...............................................................................18 LAWS AND REGULATIONS……………………………………………………………..19 Food safety…………………………………………………………………………………..20 Commissary requirement…………………………………………………………………..21 Restroom access……………………………………………………………………………..21 Health permit and certification decal……………………………………………………...21 Health inspections…………………………………………………………………………...22 THE LONCHERA ECONOMY…………………………………………………………....24 Patterns in the lonchera economy………………………………………………………......24
    [Show full text]
  • Information for Opening a Mobile Food Business in Regina & Surrounding Area
    TRUCKS & CARTS Information For Opening A Mobile Food Business In Regina & Surrounding Area Opening a Food Truck in Regina Information for Regina and Surrounding Area Guide to Opening a Mobile Food Business This document is intended to guide you through the process of opening a Mobile Food Business in Regina and its surrounding area. Following this document will help to make sure that all requirements are met, and the process of opening your mobile food business goes as smoothly as possible. Definitions: Potentially Hazardous Foods - Foods with a pH and/or water activity level that will support the growth of micro-organisms. Examples are meat, fish, milk and milk products, eggs, cooked vegetables and cut fruit and vegetables. Commissary – A base of operation where foods may be prepared and stored. 1 Getting Started ... In order to provide food for the public, your mobile food business needs to be licenced by public health (different from a City of Regina business licence). To receive a licence it is important to follow these steps: • Submission and approval of detailed floor plans, specifications, menu and food safe certification. • Submission and approval of a completed ‘New Premises’ application form. • Contact a public health inspector two weeks prior to opening to arrange the pre-opening inspection. A pre-opening inspection is required to verify the food concession has been constructed or renovated according to the approved submitted plans and application. Licence to Operate … The following documents explain the requirements you must meet when opening a mobile food business. It is very helpful to read and understand these documents before you get started.
    [Show full text]
  • Spokane Mobile Food Industry Summary
    WHITE PAPER Mobile Food Vendors City of Spokane Planning and Development Services Department BACKGROUND Mobile food vendors have been present and active participants in the Spokane food scene for many years. Spokane’s “Pig Out in the Park” is an annual celebration of the mobile food industry which has brought ethnic and traditional food and entertainment to Spokane for over 31 years. Spokane is also home to numerous traditional food truck operators who serve workers in industrial areas and construction sites and also to a handful of enterprising push cart operators offering their goods to passerby’s on downtown sidewalks. To date, Spokane’s experience with mobile food vendors has been fairly typical and un-noteworthy. Countywide, the Spokane Regional Health District issues an average of about 80 mobile food unit permits annually. Growing interest in these businesses locally and the phenomenal growth in other northwest cities, including Seattle and Portland, indicate these numbers may increase. In particular, Portland has by many accounts become the leader of innovation in the “food cart” industry as it has experienced a blossoming of the industry into a major cultural phenomenon fueled in part by the creative, entrepreneurial spirit of the City and the “great recession” which has spurred interest in food carts as a relatively low cost self- employment option. Other communities experiencing noticeable growth in their food cart industries have reacted with less enthusiasm as the food carts have created both regulatory issues and backlash from the brick and mortar restaurant owners and other small businesses who feel impacted by the mobile vendors.
    [Show full text]
  • Economic Empowerment Through a Food Cart Micro Leasing Program in Thailand
    ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT THROUGH A FOOD CART MICRO LEASING PROGRAM IN THAILAND An Interactive Qualifying Project Report Submitted to the Faculty of the WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science by _______________________________________ ______________________________________ Jamielee Brown Alicia Groth ________________________________________ _______________________________________ Erik Mendez Binyam Tsegaye Date: March 3, 2004 __________________________________________ Robert Krueger, Co-Advisor __________________________________________ Steve Pierson, Co-Advisor Executive Summary The towering high-rises of Bangkok’s contemporary skyline give a sense of the modernization that has occurred in Thailand over the past few decades. Bangkok aspires to reach the ranks of other modern cities; however, poverty is still prevalent down on the crowded streets. Despite the progress Bangkok has made, Thailand remains a developing country, reliant on small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) to support its economy. Scholars and policy makers alike have recognized the importance of SMEs in economic development of many developed and developing countries. Many developed countries host capital-intensive large corporations while industrializing economies have owed much of their success to SMEs (Abdullah & Beal, 2003). The importance of SMEs is evident. Fujimaki (1995) reports that roughly 70 percent of the whole labor market in urban Thailand is comprised of small-scale private enterprise workers. Still, too many people end their workday with the equivalent of three US dollars as their income. Recently the Thai government has officially recognized the role of SMEs in developing the nation’s economy (Sirisambhand, 1995). Although there is an enormous presence of food carts in Thailand, it is often difficult for entrepreneurs to start a business due to the troubles with accessing capital funds.
    [Show full text]
  • Top Food Trucks Local Craft Beer Farmers Market Roundup
    DESTINATION ADVENTURE HISTORY Hiking the Tofino’s Most Su Pender Islands P. 22 Stein Valley P. 54 Famous Eccentric P. 68 MME 7 r 2015 SEcrETS of lEavE no tracE caMPing C THE BLIGHT oF THE Taste arBuTuS IconIc TrEES undEr Of THrEaT summer ToP Food TruckS LocaL craFT BEEr FarMErS MarkET rounduP $6.95 disPlay until sEPt 22 PM PM 40069119 Taste of mme FarmersSu r Markets Nothing says summer in B.C. like a trip to a farmers market. Here are our top picks from around the province Fresh produce at the Trout Lake Farmers Market in Vancouver, page 36. © Kaishin Chu 2015 Taste of Summer Cottonwood Community Market Bulkley Valley & Nelson Downtown Farmers Market local Market nelson By David Webb By David Webb smithers Tucked beTween The babine and when The doukhobors firsT Tilled Hudson Bay mountain ranges, in British Co- soil in British Columbia’s Slocan Valley some Where: Cottonwood Falls lumbia’s lush Bulkley Valley, Smithers’ locally 120 years ago, they probably never imagined the Park (Cottonwood Community adored farmers market always draws a crowd. fertile land that provided them with hardy root Market); 400 Block of Baker “We’re a hoppin’ place,” says Lyn Nugent, vegetables would also bring drum Street (Downtown Local Mar- administrative assistant for the Bulkley Valley circles and artisan breadmakers. But ket), Nelson. Farmers Market Association. Running from that’s exactly what’s happened in this When: Saturdays, May 16 to Where: Central Park Mothers Day to the end of September, this lively close-knit town on the shores of Koo- October 31, 9:30 a.m.
    [Show full text]
  • DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT COMMISSION March 9, 2021 4:00
    DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT COMMISSION March 9, 2021 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Virtual Meeting AGENDA • Roll Call • Approval of January 12, 2021 Meeting Minutes • Public Participation • Consent Agenda – Topics will not be discussed unless there are questions posed by the Commission. Please reference the consent agenda memo. • Boulder Police Department (BPD) Update (Sgt. Kessler) • Downtown Boulder Partnership (DBP) Update (Chip) • Matters from Staff o 2021 Mobile Vending Cart Applications – Review and Recommendation • Matters from Commissioners Attachments: • Draft DMC Meeting Minutes – January 12, 2021 • Special District Boards and Commissions Consent Agenda – March 2021 • Downtown Mall Area Police Calls Report – January and February 2021 • 2021 Mobile Vending Cart Applications – Review and Recommendation – March 9, 2021 Commissioner Term Exp. DMC 2021 Priorities • Participate in meaningful processes and dialogue exploring future Jerry Shapins, Chair Citizen-at-Large 2021 downtown transformations that strengthen the economy, diversify the Andrew Niemeyer Citizen-at-Large 2022 user base, and engage a broader public to “reclaim” portions of the Adam Knoff Property Owner/Rep 2023 downtown Susan Nuzum, Vice-chair Property Owner/Rep 2024 • Participate in implementation of the Access Management and Vacant Property Owner/Rep 2025 Parking Strategy (AMPS) projects (Neighborhood Parking Permit Program and Parking Pricing) to strengthen multimodal downtown access experiences and infrastructure • Consider repurposed portions of parking infrastructure to meet broader
    [Show full text]
  • What Makes up a Döner Kebab? The
    Written By: Robert Guthrie Already an epicenter of experimentation laid out in front of guests. Like many popular and exploration of flavors and ideas, America restaurants, select your protein, fixings, and has become hungrier for new and interesting the rest of your kebab and watch the whole tastes in recent years. As an increasingly thing get assembled right in front of your eyes. international state, Texas is no exception. It is a step up from your average on-the-go food In addition to our many delicious, nationally- experience and that is by design. “We were so recognized barbeque joints, steakhouses, and Tex- unimpressed with the fast-food options,” Heyne told Mex eateries, Texas now also plays host to some of the Houstonia magazine in an interview last year, “And nation’s finest ethnic and fusion restaurants such as Uchi wanted to create something nicer.” Judging just by the in Austin or Afrikiko in Houston. As it is no secret Texans incredible growth of VertsKebap, it is pretty clear this love to eat, our love of good food has made the Lone Star sentiment has resonated with Texans. State a prime location for new and exciting trends in food and dining. THE TREND GROWS ACROSS THE STATE One of the most interesting (and delicious) of these VertsKebap is the biggest indicator of a growing trend; trends, the döner, or döner kebab, comes to us from the smaller contenders like Kebabalicious in Austin and Dögarz Middle East by way of Europe. Though the kebab has its origin Döner in Houston are also bringing this delicious street fare to in 19th century Anatolia, its modern street food incarnation Texans in their own unique way.
    [Show full text]
  • The Podski Food Lot Press Kit
    THE PODSKI FOOD LOT PRESS KIT Centrally located between the Old Mill and Downtown Bend, The PODSKI offers up a wide variety of worldly food trucks, local beer and nothing but good vibes. At the Podski we've created a chill reprieve from the Bend hustle, filled with world class food, great brews and local spirit. Whether you're looking for the best fried chicken in town, perogies to die for, Thai food to die for, Korean Fusion you won’t be able to get enough of, European Charcuterie, middle eastern modern comfort food, mouthwatering vegan cuisine and an AMAZING beer and wine selection....we've got you covered with an all encompassing low key, local vibe. Come on down to our local watering hole and Feel the Vibe for yourself! For logos, photos or additional information please contact Mikel Lomsky | [email protected] | 547.968.5034 THE PODSKI FOOD LOT PRESS KIT THE PODSKI BEER CART The journey of The Podski Beer Cart started out when Mikel Lomsky and Caleb Trowbridge started playing music together in 2016 in a garage-converted-into-a-studio space where The Podski is now located. Caleb was bartending at Crux at the time, and when Mikel mentioned he wanted to put together a food truck lot, he told him he’d love to handle the beer bar, if it all worked out. After some big delays, and a lot of hard work from Mikel, it's been so great to see The Podski turn in to the amazing place to be that it is today.
    [Show full text]
  • Covid-19 Resource Guide for Licensed Food Cart & Food Truck Vendors In
    COVID-19 RESOURCE GUIDE FOR LICENSED FOOD CART & FOOD TRUCK VENDORS IN WISCONSIN First, we want to acknowledge the challenges that our families, communities and businesses are going through due to COVID-19. Our primary concern is that you, your family, and your community are healthy and safe. This resource guide is designed to help licensed Wisconsin food cart and food truck vendors implement best practices in food safety, identify new business opportunities, and utilize resources such as grants, loans, and childcare support. Given this ever-changing situation, please note that additional resources and recommendations may become available. As you go through the information below, please do not hesitate to reach out with questions, concerns, ideas, or suggestions. Contact information is at the end of the resource guide. If you are not a licensed food cart or food truck vendor and you are interested in starting a food cart or food truck, please contact your local health department or the Department of Agriculture, Trade and ​ ​ ​ Consumer Protection (DATCP) for information on licensing requirements at ​ ​ [email protected] or (608) 224-4923. Before food carts and trucks may operate in ​ Wisconsin, they must be licensed by the appropriate state or local authority. COVID-19 HEALTH & SAFETY INFORMATION The State of Wisconsin, including the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection ​ (DATCP), continues to monitor the spread of COVID-19 in coordination with the Department of Health ​ Services (DHS), Public Health and other local, state, and federal partners. You can access information from multiple state agencies at Wisconsin.gov/COVID19. As circumstances ​ ​ ​​ ​ continue to evolve, this webpage will be continually updated.
    [Show full text]
  • Food Cart Economics
    Food Cart Economics A Comprehensive Analysis of Portland’s Street Food Market Jake Jamal Glicker Presented to the Robert D. Clark Honors College of the University of Oregon And the University of Oregon Department of Economics In partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Science March 2014 Abstract of the Thesis of Jake Jamal Glicker for the degree of Bachelor of Science In the Department of Economics, to be taken March 2014 Titled FOOD CART ECONOMICS: A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF PORTLAND'S STREET FOOD MARKET ~ Approved:~ Professor Wes Wilson Defined by an eclectic collection of food carts, the market for street food in Portland, Oregon experienced an explosive expansion from 2006 to 2011. I seek to understand why and how this growth occurred. My research identifies a unique combination of cultural, regulatory, and economic factors contributed to initial development and my econometric model of exit probability and robust firm-level dataset describe the characteristics of market growth. I interpret observed trends in the context of fundamental economic theories of industrial organization and market interaction, testing the applicability of theoretical microeconomic relationships in real-world scenarios. ii To the best of all possible parents iii contents Research 1 Introduction 1 Origins 3 Figures 11 Literature 29 Empirics 39 Model 39 Methods 46 Data 48 Results 53 Conclusion 73 Appendix 74 References 76 iv figures Portland Street Food Market Size 12 Net Marginal Change in Market Size 13 Portland Food Cart Locations:
    [Show full text]
  • Street Food Vending Policy City of Ithaca Board of Public Works
    Street Food Vending Policy City of Ithaca Board of Public Works I. Purpose The purpose of this policy is to establish a uniform City policy for the utilization of City streets for the purpose of vending fresh, prepared and pre-packaged food products to the general public. Retail- or service-based vending will not be covered under this policy. The Farmer’s Market at DeWitt Park has a separate License Agreement and does not fall under this policy. II. Definitions CITY PARKS – All city-owned or managed land that constitutes parks, playgrounds, parking, outdoor passive and active recreation areas (whether paved or unpaved), natural areas adjacent to public waterways and bike paths. This term does not include the Ithaca Commons. FOOD CART (PUSHCART) - A wheeled device, not required to be licensed as a vehicle that is equipped and approved for use as a mobile food vending unit. Food Cart/Pushcart shall not mean a stand, booth, truck or trailer. FOOD TRUCK – A registered motor vehicle designed to be mobile, portable and not permanently attached to the ground from which food (either pre-packaged or prepared on site) is sold or given away. HERITAGE PERMIT – A permit only available to a vendor who has operated in the same location under previous City permits issued prior to October 1, 2003. The heritage permit shall only apply to that previously permitted location. A heritage permit may be transferred with written permission from the Superintendent of Department of Public Works. PERMIT – Written proof of permission to use city-owned real property or parking space for a short period of time, in no case exceeding one year.
    [Show full text]